PERSON: Holly Williams

Correspondent

Holly Williams is an Australian foreign correspondent and war correspondent who has worked for CBS since 2012. Prior to that, she worked for BBC News, CNN, and Sky News.

Williams grew up in Tasmania and Victoria, Australia. She attended high school in Victoria. Growing up, she was interested in journalism. Williams became interested in China when she was 12 years old while watching the Tiananmen Square Protests on television. At age 15 she persuaded her parents to let her visit China for three months in an exchange program.

Upon returning home she began studying Chinese in high school. Williams became enamored with learning about and watching Chinese films, including “Farewell My Concubine,” directed by Chen Kaige. Years later as a reporter working in China, she interviewed Kaige.

Williams obtained a bachelor’s degree in Chinese language studies and Asian history from the Australian National University. Then she earned a master’s degree in international relations from Deakin University. After graduating, Williams became an intern for CNN working in China. From 2007 to 2008, Williams was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University.

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